Emmy Nominations Announced

As has usually been the case the last few years, cable
programs dominated the list of nominees for the 61st
Primetime Emmy Awards, announced Thursday in Los Angeles.

HBO led the way with 99 nominations, followed by the
broadcasters, with 67 for NBC, 55 for ABC, 49 for CBS and 42 for Fox.

30 Rock set an Emmy comedy record with 22 nominations, while
AMC’s Mad Men led the dramas with 19 nods.

Still, despite the familiar networks and shows, the addition
of an extra nominee in each of the major categories--and the fact that the
nominees were based entirely on the public vote--led to a few surprises. At the
top of the list is Family Guy, which chose not to enter the “Oustanding
Animated Program” category to make a run at the broader “Outstanding Comedy
Series” category. The bet paid off, as Family Guy got the nod. Weeds also made
the cut, the first time a Showtime series has been nominated in the best comedy
category.

Also making an unexpected appearance was comedian Sarah
Silverman, who received a “Best Actress in a Comedy Series” nod for her role
in Comedy Central’s The Sarah Silverman Program. Showtime, which was well
represented on the night, garnered two of the nominations in the category, with
Mary Louise Parker getting the nod for Weeds, and Toni Collette for the new
series United States of Tara.

Simon Baker snagged a “Best Actor in a Drama Series” Emmy
nom as the star of the CBS rookie drama The Mentalist.

In a new category, best Variety, Music or Comedy series, the
nominees were The Colbert Report, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Saturday
Night Live, Real Time with Bill Maher and The Late Show with David Letterman.